Becker County discusses possible cannabis-use ordinance

Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – The Becker County Board took its first steps in debating a possible cannabis-use ordinance for the county during their regular meeting on July 18.

The draft ordinance has yet to be written, however, Barry Nelson, the chair of the Becker County Board, said he want to get something on the county books in coming weeks since recreational cannabis possession will become legal on Aug. 1.

“I think we need to let people know that public-use, on public property, we don’t want it there,” said Nelson. “If you want to use (cannabis) it should be in your personal space.”

He also said: “We can always amend it later on, but we should have something on the books just saying that we recognize that we have to get a head of this.” 

Pat Oman, city administrator for Detroit Lakes, said he had just returned from a conference of county administrators and a legal expert tried to explain to the group how cannabis can be used under the new law without a public-use ordinance in place.

“Smoking cannabis, or using cannabis can be done in public places, and I want to say this right … smoking a cigarette, if that’s not allowed in a public space than using marijuana is also not allowed in a public space,” said Oman. “They are equivalent, is how it was explained to us.”

Oman said many of his county administrator colleagues at the conference told him they are all playing catch-up with trying to pass new use-ordinances before Aug. 1.

“They are all playing catch up and they are all going as quick as they can,” said Oman. “And we are in kind of the same boat as most counties.”

All of the Becker County board members seemed to want to expedite the ordinance passage and have tentatively planned to hold a public hearing on the during the board’s next meeting on Aug. 1, which could also include a possible approval vote and first-reading of the new cannabis-use ordinance.

A second reading of the ordinance would be required at a separate meeting before the new county regulation could go into effect.